The big cleanout

30 July 2004 — 10:00pm

After a long spell computers need some of the same spring cleaning usually set aside for other parts of the household. Over time, unneeded junk collects on a PC's hard drive and the bad news is that this dross makes the computer run significantly slower.

The good news is that there are a number of programs that can help tidy things up on your hard drive. One-stop-shopping for spring cleaners can be found in Norton SystemWorks 2004.

The program includes functions for optimising PC performance, for data security, and for resolving system problems. The package also includes six programs: Norton Antivirus 2004, Password Manager, Go Back Personal Edition, web Tools, Utilities and CleanSweep.

Go Back is responsible for making sure that the system can be rebuilt after a total crash, without boot disks. The Utilities software is also particularly helpful. Its Disk Doctor function helps resolve hard drive problems, while the integrated CleanSweep removes any files that are no longer needed. The program is available in a trial version.

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Another program for "saving" data is TuneUp Utilities 2004 from S.A.D. If data is accidentally put into the recycling bin and cannot be recovered through normal means, the TuneUp Undelete function can ride to the rescue.

In the same way, the program provides a different tool for those who want to delete sensitive data irretrievably. With more than 300 possible settings, the software can tailor an operating system to the user's needs.

If a system needs to be built from scratch after a total crash, PowerPartitionManager 2 from G-Data is ready. The program lets you split a hard drive into new partitions, each of which can use a different file system (FAT32, NTFS, Ex2/3, Reiser FS/Ext2FS, and HPFS).

The program can also carry out a defragmentation process for NFTS and FAT format partitions. A security function on the partition manager guards against the data loss due to things like a power outage.

The integrated boot manager can manage up to 16 different operating systems on a computer. Those looking to prevent unauthorised access to their computers can set up a password in the boot manager, which will then be requested every time the computer is started.